Republic Facing Iranian Tester

Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy was among the crowd in Abu Dhabi yesterday as Iran beat hosts United Arab Emirates to clinch a place in the play-offs against his team for entry to next summer's World Cup finals.

Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy was among the crowd in Abu Dhabi yesterday as Iran beat hosts United Arab Emirates to clinch a place in the play-offs against his team for entry to next summer's World Cup finals.

Iran, who last week managed just a 1-0 win in the first leg of the double-header with the UAE to decide which Asian nation would get the chance to accompany joint hosts Japan and Korea plus China and Saudi Arabia to the finals, emphatically completed a 4-0 aggregate success away from home.

McCarthy said: "I would have been surprised if they had lost. They have some very good players and are a better side than the Emirates."

Ireland will still start favourites to pick up the World Cup ticket when they play Iran on November 10 in Dublin and five days later in Tehran.

However, McCarthy knows his side must try to build a solid lead in the home leg to steel themselves for what is likely to be a fraught return meeting in front of a 100,000 crowd in the Iranian capital.

With a tendency to riot after matches - either in celebration of victory or despair at defeat - Iranian fans could present a daunting prospect.

But McCarthy, who was also in Tehran for the first leg of the Asian play-off last week, pronounced himself happy with conditions and said he expects no problems for Irish players flying there despite the current political tension in the Middle East.

Five North-East-based players were last night included in the Republic squad for the play-off - Newcastle's Shay Given and Andy O'Brien, and Sunderland trio Jason McAteer, Niall Quinn and Kevin Kilbane.

And winger Kilbane has promised to be fit in time to help the Republic's challenge.

"I'm just desperate to make a comeback because it's a big month ahead, for both club and country," said Kilbane, who has missed the Black Cats' last two games with an ankle ligament problem.

"Obviously I want to be involved in Ireland's game.

"Mick was on the phone to me after he got back from the Middle East and I told him I should be okay.

"There are three of us at Sunderland who are desperate to do well and go to the World Cup."